Thursday, January 22, 2009

Peter MacKinnon, Gerald Grandey & Josef Hormes among select few to meet with Finance Minister Jim Flaherty; public shafted on town hall meetings

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty promised pre-budget town hallmeetings across Canada but held only two -- in Whitby-Oshawa (left)and West Vancouver (right)

‘In the new year, Flaherty will meet with Canadians across the country in town hall meetings, and looks forward to “hearing directly and in person what their concerns are and what their advice is.”’– Flaherty appoints economic advisory council, CBC News, Dec. 18, 2008

‘Flaherty, who was holding pre-budget consultations with business and academic leaders in Saskatoon Thursday, said the government was listening to the advice of ordinary Canadians as well and would hold town hall meetings.’– Flaherty turns to private sector for advice, The StarPhoenix, Dec. 19, 2008

‘Meeting with ordinary Canadians is also on his agenda. Town hall meetings will take place in several different cities across the country in the new year.’– Flaherty establishes economic council, The Canadian Press, Dec. 18, 2008

On Dec. 11, 2008 Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced the launch of the government’s national consultation leading into its fourth budget, to be tabled on January 27, 2009.

In an op-ed that appeared in The Golden Star on Dec. 23, 2008, Flaherty said the government was taking steps “to ensure we consult with as many Canadians as possible.”

“I’m holding a series of roundtable discussions with business leaders, economists, academics, industry leaders, community and labour organizations in cities across Canada from Saint John to Victoria,” wrote Flaherty.

“We’re also organizing town hall meetings in other locations across Canada where I look forward to hearing from Canadians personally.”

The roundtable discussions were with “invited stakeholders” only. Finance officials refused to release the names of the participants.

As for the town hall meetings there were only two, both in Conservative ridings: Whitby-Oshawa and West Vancouver – SunshineCoast – Sea to Sky Country. The rest of the country was ignored.

Flaherty and his staff appeared to have had lots of time, though, to meet with business leaders and lobby groups. The federal lobbyists’ registry in Ottawa reveals a revolving door of oil and pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions, senior executives and consultants representing clients parading through the Prime Minister’s Office, Privy Council Office and Finance Canada meeting with minister’s and their senior officials.

Some of the more recognizable names include J.D. Irving, Limited president, James Irving, Suncor CEO Richard George, Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Perrin Beatty, former New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord, Canadian Bankers Association president Nancy Hughes Anthony, Magna International co-CEO Donald Walker, Air Canada CEO Montie Brewer and CanWest Global CEO Leonard Asper.

Closer to home at least three Saskatchewan residents were among the privileged few to meet with Flaherty during his closed-door roundtable meeting tour across Canada: U of S president Peter MacKinnon, Cameco CEO Gerald Grandey and Canadian Light Source executive director Josef Hormes.

The registry listings seem to also to indicate that budget consultations were taking place well before the official launch date. Records show that Canadian Federation of Independent Business president Catherine Swift met with two Finance Department policy advisors on Dec. 4 to discuss the 2009 budget. This is in addition to Swift’s participation in the closed-door roundtable meeting with Flaherty held in Thornhill, Ontario on Jan. 9. So this particular lobby group appeared to have at least two kicks at the can while ordinary Canadians got the shaft.

The Viewpoint below was published in The StarPhoenix on Jan. 22, 2009. Following that are the communication logs for the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council Office and Finance Canada beginning Dec. 1, 2008 as found on the federal lobbyists’ registry website.

Lip service paid to pre-budget consulting idea

Joe Kuchta The StarPhoenix

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Following is the viewpoint of the writer, a resident of Saskatoon.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s pre-budget public consultation appears to have been a sham.

Flaherty said in Saskatoon last month that town hall meetings would be conducted across Canada: “I look forward to hearing from Canadians directly and in person what their concerns are and what their advice is.”

To date, he has held just two town hall meetings -- one in the safe confines of his home riding of Whitby-Oshawa, and other in the West Vancouver riding held by fellow Conservative MP John Weston.

In an op-ed published Dec. 23 in The Golden Star, Flaherty said he wrote to all MPs asking them to consult with constituents on local priorities and to report back to him directly. The same day, Flaherty's communications director, Mike Storeshaw, had a letter in the Toronto Star saying MPs had until Jan. 10 to submit their findings.

Evidence suggests that Saskatchewan MPs did little or nothing during the consultation period to canvass their constituents in any meaningful way.

A search through their websites shows that none made announcements or issued news releases about any pre-budget public meetings. A search of The StarPhoenix, Leader-Post and Prince Albert Daily Herald from Dec. 12 to Jan. 10 turned up no news stories or advertisements involving these MPs holding pre-budget meetings. I live in the riding of Conservative MP Kelly Block. Our apartment building received no mail-outs to advise of any meetings.

So what exactly are MPs reporting to Flaherty?

The only public consultation accessible to everyone was a survey posted on the Finance Canada website. Participants were asked to assign a rating to a series of pre-determined fiscal stimulus priorities: Expedite infrastructure spending; invest in housing; build strong sustainable labour markets and training incentives; support traditional and emerging industrial sectors; improve access to credit; and “other.”

Participants were allowed a maximum 50 words to comment on each topic. Anyone with an innovative idea was given one paragraph to explain it. The form did not ask for a name or address, and was susceptible to manipulation since it was possible to submit more than one response.

The online consultation contained a link to a presentation called Fiscal Stimulus: Budget 2009 Consultations. The document outlined the tools available to the government and the Bank of Canada to support economic growth. These include “monetary policy, measures to support Canadian credit markets, and fiscal policy actions through lower taxes or higher targeted spending, such as infrastructure investment.”

The document makes clear that “In the current environment, fiscal policy should continue to complement monetary policy and measures to support credit markets in order to promote an economic recovery.”

This is contrary to what Flaherty has been telling Canadians -- that his government is open to all suggestions. The report notes that an “effective stimulus should also balance our short term needs with our long term economic plan for prosperity.”

The plan in question is the Conservative government’s Advantage Canada: Building a Strong Economy for Canadians, which Flaherty released in November 2006. The bottom line is that, unless your ideas fit with the Harper government’s pre-determined options and objectives, the survey was pointless.

As part of his national consultation Flaherty conducted closed-door roundtable discussions with “invited stakeholders” in Saint John, Saskatoon, Montreal, Thornhill and Victoria.

The meeting in Saskatoon was on Dec. 18 at the Delta Bessborough. The StarPhoenix reported that 20 people attended, but only six were from Saskatchewan. I contacted Flaherty’s press secretary, Chisholm Pothier, and asked for the names of the participants. The request was denied. Apparently protecting the identity of business leaders and lobby group representatives outweighs the public’s right to know with whom their elected officials are meeting.

The federal lobbyists’ registry in Ottawa, however, has posted the names of at least three Saskatchewan residents who had the special privilege of meeting with Flaherty during his pre-budget tour: Canadian Light Source executive director Josef Hormes, University of Saskatchewan president Peter MacKinnon and Cameco CEO Gerald Grandey.